CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background
Science and Technology plays a central role in our modern societies.
Various education methods were developed for teaching science at school to
create scientific knowledge, understanding of its impacts on society and its
underlying social processes (Wieringa et al, 2011). Role play activity is one of
method in teaching science which is considerably unique, new, and
revolutionary. Beside that some other research are rarely focused on the scope
of role play which is devised and used by real people in real situation (Dorion,
2009).
Science especially biology subject considered as a difficult subject by
students since the achievement of Indonesian students about biology is
relatively low. It could be seen from PISA 2009 study result which shows that
Indonesia‟s score is decrease into 383 and become the 60th out of 65 participants. This is caused by lack of students ability in identifying scientific
problem, utilizing scientific fact, understanding life system, and understand
application of science tools (Pusat Penelitian Pendidikan Balitbang
Kemdikbud, 2011). More than most topics in biology, major misconceptions
often persist in students' understanding of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is
preceived by most teacher to be one of the most problematic concept in
biology (Finely, Stewart & Yarruch 2006). Essentially, biology especially
photosynthesis is not difficult, besides it should be an attractive subject
because biology as science knowledge consist of hands on, minds on, and
hearts on activities.
Method of teaching which are used in Indonesia commonly is not
not enggaged into teaching learning process, thats why students consider
photosynthesis as a difficult subject. Similar things happen in the school that
this research taken. Based on the observation during observation stage of
teaching practice, most of the students consider that exact lessons such as
mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology is a difficult subject. The
achievement of biology is relatively lower rather than other subjects, it could
be seen from the score of previous semesters. Students have difficulties in
imagining biology phenomena in real life, so that they just remember the
phenomena without knowing what is really happen there. Students tends to be
passive and just listen to teacher‟s explanation. Students attitude toward
biology lesson should not be that passive, students should be more active since
attitudes are integrally linked to learning achievement (McLeon, 1992).
Role play activities are able to develop students‟ visualization through
a range of modalities, which included embodied sensation and anthromorphic
metaphors. The essence of science role play at school is to shape a
contextualization for science and technology with the aim to trigger
imagination, raise questions, and stimulate debate among students to increase
the understanding of science (Wieringa et al, 2011).
It has been claimed that drama, or drama typed activities such as role
plays, can support learning of cognitive, affective and technical objective,
especially higher order thinking skills related to analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation (Harvard Project Zero, 2001; Wagner, 1998). Some experimental
studies have suggested that role plays can enable meaningful learning
(Metcalfe et al., 1984). A central characteristic of these activities is that they
are seen to promote opportunities for “interactive dialogue” (Wilson & Spink,
2005), dialogic teaching (Edmiston & Wilhelm, 1998), and student centered
discourse (Somers, 1994). Furthermore the literature consistently highlights
perception of empowerment and ownership during these events (Odegaard,
2003).
Although this method was proved to be successful, there is a
possibilities that students personally do not be able to grasp the material
maximally through this method, since each students are unique and have
different attitude and characteristics toward role play learning method. Some
of the students are able to learn well by this method, meanwhile the rest of
them not. One of the student‟s learning characteristics that is measurable is
student‟s multiple intelligence. Baset on multiple intelligence theory written by Gardner (1999), identifying each student‟s intelligences has strong
ramifications in the classroom. If a child's intelligence can be identified, then
teachers can accommodate different children more successfully according to
their orientation to learning. Teachers in traditional classrooms primarily
teach to the verbal/linguistic and mathematical/logical intelligences.
Considering those framework, reasearcher decided to do research
about implementation of role play to determine the effect of role play learning
method to improve students achievement in photosynthesis topic.
B. Problem Identification
This study was conducted to define the effect of role play. The effect
itself spessifically is student‟s achievement. To measure student‟s
achievement, comprehension test was choosen to measure improvement of
student‟s achievement. This comprehension test consists of pre test and post
test. To know exactly the achievement improve significantly or not, researcher
use normalized gain (<g>) by Hake (Wardhani, 2006). The research was
C. Research Problem
According to the explanation in the background, the research problem is „
Can role play learning method improve student achievement in
photosynthesis topic?‟. Further, the research questions formulated and stated
as the following questions:
1. How is the implementation of role play learning method in
photosynthesis topic?
2. How is the effect of role play method to students achievement in
photosynthesis topic?
3. How is students response during teaching learning process in
photosynthesis topic?
4. How is the effect of student‟s multiple intelligence to role play
learning method?
D. Objective
According to the research problem proposed, therefore the aim of this
research is to investigate the answer of this following question:
1. To investigate the implementation of role play learning method in
photosynthesis topic.
2. To analyze the improvement of student‟s achievement through role
3. To identify students response during teaching learning process in
photosynthesis topic.
4. To analyze the effect of student‟s multiple intelligence to role play
learning method.
E. Significants of Research
1. For teachers:
a. Increasing the learning method enrichment in science instruction to
enhance teaching learning proccess especially in photosynthesis
concept.
b. By role play activity teachers can enrich their ability in teaching
science concept
c. To help solving problems in teaching learning activity.
d. Helping teacher to identify and classifying the students‟ mastery
concept in photosynthesis concept.
2. For students:
a. Improving learning quality, this research hopefully can contribute
in improving students biology ability.
b. Through role play activity students can enjoy and enggage into the
activity in the classroom
3. For educational institution or school:
a. Hopefully it could contribute in effort to increase learning quality
in school
4. For researcher:
a. By analysing role play activity, the researcher can prove further
problem in science instruction.
b. Researcher can identify the further dynamics of Indonesian‟
students in understanding of photosynthesis concept.
a. By contribute in another research as an important data
F. Organization Structure of Research Paper
This research paper is arranged based on its necessity .In order to get
organized structure of paper, this research paper is arranged based on the
following organization structure:
1. Chapter 1 : Introduction
This chapter elaborates the background of the research followed by the
problem proposed as well as its limitation. In this part also explain the aim
of the research and the benefit for other parties in the same field of study.
2. Chapter II : Literature Review
This chapter describes some literatures and basic theories of the research.
This research is reviewing role play learning method, student‟s
achievement, and photosinthesis. Those theories are used to strengthen or
support the data gained from the research in analysis part.
3. Chapter III : Methodology
This chapter examines the step of research procedures, the type of
research, how the data will be obtained, what is the object of the research,
the instruments, and the research plot.
4. Chapter IV : Result and Discussion
In this part, all of the data from the research will be interpreted as result of
the research. The discussion of the result will be followed after, it analyzes
the result of research and the correlation between the result and the
theories.
5. Chapter V : Conclusion and Recommendation
As its title conclusion and recommendation, in this chapter all of research
question will be answered based on the result. The difficulties and
obstacles that found in this research will be discussed in recommendation
